


What the Rain Taught Me

by SportNort



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Everyone Is Gay, Happy Ending, M/M, Plants, garden au, kagehina is the main pairing - Freeform, kageyama is thirsty for trees, more relationships and characters will be added lmao, semi-slow build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7241200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SportNort/pseuds/SportNort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caught up in a typhoon, Hinata Shouyou finds himself at the home of the once famous Garden King, Kageyama Tobio, and learns what it means to be trusted. </p><p>Aka the garden au no one asked for where Hinata is a delivery boy, Kageyama is an angsty gardener, and Suga and Daichi are just trying to run a business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A First Encounter

               It was early March, and the sun was just beginning to inch up the sky. The last sprinkles of frost had recently receded, and the small green buds of spring started to appear, hugging tight to the branches of trees that had laid dormant during the cold winter months. The air smelled clean and fresh, and there was an underlying hum of energy as the world slowly roused itself awake.

               Or at least, most of the world. Instead of waking up with the rest of Japan, Kageyama Tobio had been up for hours. Dirt streaked across his face and his hands were beginning to stiffen with fatigue under his gardening gloves. Wiping the sweat off of his face with his forearm, and earning himself a streak of dirt across it, he heaved a sigh of relief. The weeds were gone. Kageyama had needed to visit his parents for a week the week before, which meant he had to rely on an automatic sprinkler to keep his plants alive. During his stay he was constantly stressed about storms or pests or plant burglaries. When Kageyama had first gotten home, he had spent an hour meticulously checking to make sure absolutely no bugs had even though about landing on one of his flowers, and no black cloaked figures had stolen into the night with his bushes. He would’ve stayed out longer and done the weeding then too, but by then it was too late and Kageyama was afraid that in his exhausted state he might accidently make a bigger mess than an intruder could have.

               As he walked to the next section to weed, he took a moment to appreciate his garden. Hues of crimson, peach, and sienna warmed in the sunrise, like a painter had breathed life into his masterpiece creation. Subtle periwinkle and rich cobalt were like the ocean, the velvety petals fluttering in the wind, churning like the sea. Dark vines of deep emerald twisted and climbed up the fences and outer walls of Kageyama’s house, adding contrast to the lightness of the rest of the garden. Kageyama walked across the warm gray stone path, and looked up at the sakura tree in the center. It jutted into the sky with an air of prominence, towering higher than any other plant in his garden. It was Kageyama’s pride and joy. Seeing the tree, his tree, standing watch over his garden filled Kageyama with the same joy a parent might feel, as well as a sudden rush of adrenaline. In one month, the World Gardening Association would be in his town, with judges and photographers from all over the country selecting only the best gardens to be showcased in gardening magazines around the world. He knelt down, having reached the spot he needed to, and, upon putting down the cushion for his knees, he began to weed.

Beginning

               Hinata Shouyou was going to be late. Frantically shoving a water bottle from the fridge into his bag, he slipped on his shoes and ran out into the cool morning air. The sun was inching its way further up into the sky, the last trace colors of the sunset fading into the daytime blue.  He ran over to his bike, mounted it, and rode off to work as fast as he possibly could.

               The Karasuno Garden Center and Plant Nursery was a humble shop. The building itself was small, but crammed inside were an assortment of gardening tools and supplies ranging from all organic home grown fertilizer to hand sewn gardening gloves.

               Hinata burst into the shop at gale force, stopping only to avoid careening into a high stacked tower of plant pots.

               “Good morning Hinata,” Shouyou turned, and once he saw who had spoken, his face split into an infectiously wide grin.

               “Good morning Suga-san! I’m sorry I’m late. Is there anything you need help with?” Hinata walked while he spoke, being sure to punch in before grabbing one of the bagels from the counter that his coworker, Nishinoya, had probably gotten him on his delivery runs.

               “Actually yes,” Sugawara said, walking over and grabbing a bagel himself “Could you run a few deliveries? Noya and Tanaka are busy.” Sugawara took a bite out of his bagel, and looked down at Hinata, savoring the look of surprise, joy, and determination that flashed across his face.

               “Even though I’ve never done a delivery before?” Hinata asked, his mouth stuffed with bagel.

               “Hinata, don’t talk while you eat. You’ll choke. And yes. I think it’s time you get some outside experience.” Suga said, looking down at the Hinata affectionately. It wasn’t as though Suga hadn’t trusted Hinata with this sort of job. It was just that business had been crucial lately with the Garden Association’s visit rapidly approaching. Suga needed only the most experienced workers dealing with deliveries. Hinata was a good sport about handling plant care and restocking the shop, but Suga could tell that he was starting to get antsy with the repetitive nature of the job.

               “So who am I delivering to?” Hinata asked, wolfing down his bagel now. Suga shifted from foot to foot.

               “Well this particular customer is a tad… grumpy… Normally I’d send Daichi, but he’s busy.” Suga muttered, trying not to make the person Hinata needed to deliver to seem too bad.

               “I’ll be fine Suga-san. Just give me the address and packages, and I’ll be on my way.” Suga nodded, only slightly doubting the logic of this plan.

               “His name is Kageyama Tobio,” Suga said, handing Hinata a clipboard with the information he’d need. “Also Hinata, it‘s supposed to rain. I’d bring an umbrella.” Hinata nodded, taking the clipboard in one hand and green umbrella from the bucket in the corner of the shop. The bucket was kept there just in case a customer who’d forgotten to bring an umbrella wanted to go out and look at the plants. It was mostly only used by Tanaka and Noya, who used the umbrellas to spar whenever business was slow.

               “Thank you for trusting me Suga-san!” Hinata squawked, running out the door, filled with adrenaline and a feeling of extreme confidence.

               “Hinata, the packages,” Suga called after him, and leaned back on the cashier counter the bagels had been on as Hinata shuffled back inside, grabbed the things on the list, and then shuffled back outside to his bike. Suga laughed, but he wasn’t sure if it was because his employee was a likeable idiot, or because his employee was about to make him lose one of his most important customers.

 

               Hinata was on his bike again, racing towards this Kageyama Tobio’s house. Grumpy or no, Hinata was sure that his first ever customer would be satisfied with his service. As Hinata rode, he began to notice the cold pricks of rain beginning to hit his face and hands. It was starting to rain. Hinata forced a smile. This was going to be fine. No worries. A little rain never hurt anyone.

               Then it was pouring. It came down in sheets. Hinata was grateful he had worn his insulated poncho and rubber boots that day. He normally didn’t listen to weather reports, but everyone had been talking about the typhoon that was said to be making its way, and Hinata didn’t plan on taking any chances with this one.

               Hinata finally pulled up to the house, drenched near completely. But to be safe, he decided to put up his umbrella, and instantly regretted it. In his rush, he had grabbed the green frog umbrella by accident. But an umbrella is an umbrella, and in torrential downpours, one isn’t really in the position to be choosy. Hinata trudged over to the door and rung the bell. And waited. No answer. He rung again. And waited. No answer. He tapped his foot on the ground, growing impatient. Ringing the doorbell a third time and getting no response, Hinata began to wonder if the guy was even home? Who schedules a delivery, but doesn’t even show up to receive it? Was this guy a shut in? Or embarrassed about his gardening? Speaking of gardens… Hinata looked over and saw the tall fence that wrapped around and led to a side and back yard. Was that this guy’s garden? It wouldn’t hurt to peek, would it?

               Hinata crept over to the gate and, using the clipboard to unlock the hinge, inched the door open. He was met with something out of a storybook.

A paved pathway led through beds of flowers and bushes of varying hues and shades, which blended and swam together in the rain. A wind chime tied to the tree in the center tinkled with each raindrop that hit it. Everything was neat, orderly, precise, and breathtakingly beautiful. But after his eyes had wandered through the sea of colors, they fell upon a dark spot hunched in a corner. What was that? And animal? No it was too big… Hinata’s eyes widened. No way… was that Kageyama Tobio?

“Kageyama-kun” Hinata called. No answer. He was getting a lot of that today.

“Kageyama-kun” Hinata called again, a bit louder this time. Still no answer. Jerk.

“Kageyama-san!” Hinata yelled. That elicited a response. A string of curse words. Hinata was appalled. He was just trying to make deliveries after all. He swung the gate wide open and trudged over to where Kageyama was kneeling and... Weeding? Hinata wasn’t sure he cared.

“Kageyama-kun” Hinata yelled, knowing full well that Kageyama could have heard him from this distance regardless of how loud Hinata’s voice was. “I have your package from Karasuno.” Kageyama turned, and despite being cursed at previously, Hinata felt his heart skip a beat.

Kageyama’s dark hair was plastered to his face and dripping. His clothes were sopping wet and his shaking frame was probably colder than Hinata was. But his eyes. They were deep blue, like the petals of an iris bathed in the inky soup of night. And they were full of ferocious determination. Hinata instinctively took a step back. A survival instinct. What a scary person.

“The package” Kageyama echoed, standing up and straightening out his bangs. “Oh yeah. Follow me.” Hinata nodded. What had that animosity that he had felt earlier been? The feeling of terror had faded considerably now. Had it even happened? Or was he just going delirious from being so clogged up with water. Kageyama led Hinata over to a deck with an awning of sorts, which blocked the rain.

“Just let me get the money” Kageyama said. “Also, nice umbrella” He said before vanishing into the house. Hinata felt his face burn red. It’s not like it was his umbrella anyway… But the way he had said it had been so expressionless. Hinata wasn’t even sure he was joking.

Minutes later Kageyama returned with a wad of cash in his hand. Hinata accepted it, and upon counting it, made an irritated noise. That jerk didn’t even tip him. Hinata was so soaked, the fingers clutching the money were prunes. And he still had a long bike ride back to Karasuno. And now he didn’t even get a tip. The nerve of some people.

“Oi Kageyama,” Hinata muttered. Kageyama turned, glaring at him. Hinata shrank back. What was this guy’s problem? Hinata was starting to think he should leave, but just as he was opening his mouth to excuse himself, his phone rang. Hinata pulled it out of his pocket, nearly dropping it, and checked the caller ID. It was Suga-san.

“Excuse me,” Hinata said to Kageyama, and then pressed the button to accept the call.

“Hinata are you there?” Hinata heard Sugawara’s voice over the phone, crackling with the static of bad connection.

“Yeah I’m here. I delivered the package. I’m gonna head back now.” He said, watching Kageyama, who was prying open his package. He had ordered… seeds? Why hadn’t he just picked them up at the store? That would’ve saved a lot of trouble for everyone.

“Hinata- Stay where you are.” Hinata was ripped from his thoughts about his inconsiderate customer by the urgency of Suga’s tone.

“Suga-san… Did something happen? Are you okay?” Hinata asked. Kageyama looked up at Hinata, with a look of slight concern. That didn’t surprise Hinata though. All of Karasuno’s customers knew Sugawara, and he had a knack for getting people to like and trust him.

“The storm is too dangerous to ride a bike in. I’ll send Noya and Tanaka to pick you up in the truck.” Suga said. Hinata looked at his phone in disbelief. If he stayed there… He’d have to stay with Kageyama. Ten minutes alone with the guy and Hinata had already felt like he was going to get murdered twice. And who knew how long he’d be stuck at his house.

“Just stay safe Hinata. Kageyama isn’t all that bad. He may look scary, but he’s just awkward around people.”  Hinata made a sort of grunt in response. Awkward around people doesn’t mean it’s okay to not tip. Sugawara hung up, and Hinata dropped his hands to his sides.

“Is everything okay?” Kageyama asked. _Is everything okay?_ Hinata echoed in his head. _Everything is not okay. I’m stuck here with you!_

“I’m fine,” Hinata muttered, “The storm is getting bad. Suga-san told me I should stay here until my coworkers can pick me up.” Kageyama nodded.

“It is getting kinda bad.” A part of Hinata was surprised Kageyama had even noticed the storm at all. “But I need to finish.” Hinata looked at him, bewildered. Was this guy serious?

“Finish what? Your garden looks fine.” Hinata said, waving his arms around.

“Dumbass… There’s a typhoon coming. I need to finish weeding, then I’m going to prep everything for the worst of the storm. You can never be too careful.” Kageyama muttered, then began walking back to his garden to weed. Hinata followed, not really knowing what else to do.

Kageyama knelt down on his cushion and began to pull out weeds with surprising efficiency.

At attempting to make conversation. But as soon as he said it, he cringed at how stupid it sounded.

“It’s easier to pull up weeds when the soil is wet.” Kageyama muttered, “Normally I would do this after the rain, but I feel bad about not taking care of my plants for a week.” Hinata stared at Kageyama blankly. He felt bad about… neglecting his plants? If only he was as nice to his plants as he was to his delivery boys. Hinata wondered if a petunia had delivered his seeds, he would’ve tipped it. Hinata wondered if he would get a tip if he had worn a flower costume instead of his rain poncho and rubber boots.  

“Are you just gonna stand there staring off into space dumbass?” Kageyama muttered, pulling Hinata from his daydream of cosplaying as a flower for money.

“N-No,” Hinata said defensively. He knelt down and began to weed alongside Kageyama.

“Uahh!” Hinata exclaimed, pulling at weeds more energetically. “They come out like Shuuahhh!!” _Shuuahhh?_ Kageyama thought, shaking his head.

“So who are you?” Kageyama asked after a few minutes.

“Who am I? What do you mean?” Hinata responded. The mud was caking further into his nails with each time he dug his fingers into the soil.

“I mean your name dumbass. You never told me. I could keep calling you dumbass if you’d prefer that though.” Kageyama muttered. Hinata huffed. He once again had no idea whether Kageyama was making a serious statement or joking again.

“I’m Hinata Shouyou. I work at the Karasuno Garden Center and Nursery.” Hinata said automatically. He had rehearsed those lines in the mirror a hundred times for once he finally got a delivery job.

“Well no shit you work at Karasuno. Is this your first delivery or something? You’re pretty strange.” Kageyama said, not even looking at Hinata. Hinata made a face. _He_ was the strange one? At least Hinata didn’t go weeding in a typhoon.

“It is my first.” Hinata said defensively. “But you’re pretty strange yourself. You don’t have many friends, do you?’ Hinata asked. With Kageyama’s abrasive behavior, Hinata wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. But the moment he turned to Kageyama, he immediately regretted it. If he had been scary before, that was nothing compared to now.

Kageyama stared straight ahead, with an expression that rivaled that of a murderer. Hinata felt his blood run cold in his veins.

“I- um… I’m sorry…” Hinata murmured, looking down at his weeds. Kageyama shrugged.

“It’s fine.” He muttered, his voice suddenly void of the relaxed tone Hinata hadn’t noticed until it was gone. It was obviously not fine. Hinata wondered what had happened that had made Kageyama so sensitive to the topic of friends.

The pair managed to work their way through the rest of the garden. Minutes blended into hours. Hinata wasn’t sure how long they’d been out there. But as he pulled the weeds, he began to notice tiny things; first about the leaves. The rain ran down each one, then collected and dropped to the floor as one. The second thing he noticed was little things about his companion. As Kageyama worked, he had a strange, uncanny level of concentration, as though he was completely in control. But he had, as Hinata slowly began to realize, a small, genuine smile as he weeded that one wouldn’t notice without looking at Kageyama closely. Not that Hinata was _staring_ or anything. Especially not at the way the rain ran down Kageyama’s face, and most certainly not the way his wet clothes hugged to his body. Definitely not.

 The rain began to get harder as they finished, and Kageyama went inside to get them both hot tea. Hinata waited outside, positive that there was no longer a dry patch left on his body. His hands, arms, and shoes were caked with mud, and his clothing clung to his body like plastic wrap.  Kageyama came out minutes later, cradling two mugs of tea in his hands. Hinata accepted the mug gratefully, savoring the burn of the tea as it trickled down his throat, warming him from the inside out. He looked up at Kageyama, who was slowly sipping his tea. After a bout of silence, he spoke.

"Thank you... For helping me out. I haven't had help in a while." Kageyama muttered. Hinata couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had thought Kageyama hated him. But he was thanking him? Maybe he really was a nice guy.

"I mean you suck at weeding, but you helped enough to shave 5 minutes off for me..." There it was. He was still an asshole.

Hinata finished his tea, and let out a refreshed sigh. His first delivery had most certainly been bizarre. But it was satisfying all the same. Hinata looked down at his tea. He supposed that would have to suffice as his tip.

 

"Oi Shouyou!" A voice from the front called over the roaring wind and rain. Hinata stood, setting down his second cup of tea.

"Nishinoya-senpai?" He yelled back. He heard the latch of the gate open, and waited for Noya to walk over.

Instead he found himself staring at a child.

"Shouyou you're soaked!" The child exclaimed in a surprisingly deep voice. Hinata blinked, and then his eyes slowly got bigger.

“Nishi- You look so small!” Hinata blurted out. He thought he heard Kageyama snort. However, Nishinoya seemed virtually unaffected.

“Shouyou, we’ve come to rescue you. Ryu is out front with the van.” Noya yelled. Hinata was sure he’d never heard him use a normal, inside-voice. Nishinoya practically dragged him through the gate, and Hinata was able to look back for a split second, drinking in the sights and sounds of the garden before being shoved into a truck. He thought he saw Kageyama wave goodbye, though in retrospect Hinata realized it may have been a tree branch blowing in the wind, or a rogue bird darting past. Both possibilities made more sense than someone like Kageyama waving goodbye.

Just before he was pulled into the car, Noya made it a point to aggressively whisper-shout into Hinata’s ear.

“So how did it go? You didn’t lose him as a customer, did you?” Noya said, almost blowing up Hinata’s eardrums. Hinata made a face.

“He’s a jerk… I helped weed his garden…” Noya laughed.

“When I heard you were trapped with Kageyama, I was concerned, but it sounds like everything ended up okay.” Hinata shrugged, and allowed himself to be pushed into the back seat. He was shivering and blue, and Tanaka handed him a blanket, basically repeating the same stuff Noya had said but louder now that there was no concern of Kageyama overhearing. Hinata had laughed and called Kageyama a stupid jerk, but he couldn't help but feel intrigued by him. Something about his intense gaze and driven passion made Hinata feel weird inside. But a good weird? He wasn't sure. Hinata rested his head in his hand and watched as Kageyama’s house slowly shrank in the distance. He felt himself hoping he'd see him again in the future. But Hinata soon found out that the future was a lot closer than he'd initially thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so any feedback would be super appreciated <33
> 
> This au is actually the product of my friend, http://this-is-a-witty-username.tumblr.com/
> 
> But also, if you wanna talk, feel free to check out my tumblr!! http://cheesoritos.tumblr.com/


	2. The Ghost Robber and a Lunch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata is now a Cheeto, and Kageyama's angst is surfacing. Daichi has absolutely no chill.

The next morning, as Hinata rushed into work, seconds before he could be late, he found the store bustling with activity. The store always got busy after a storm, since customers would come for replacements for their ruined plants or supplies to help in salvaging whatever waterlogged remains still stood. And it didn’t help that the store itself was trying to make up for its own losses from the storm. Through one of the store windows, Hinata saw Daichi carrying several heavy sandbags they had used to brace the trees in the storm back into the storage shed. Tanaka and Noya were no doubt making runs to the elderly gardeners that couldn’t make it to the store themselves.

          Luckily, the shop had a greenhouse, so at least a good portion of the plants had survived. Hinata, after punching in, began to help customers and restock shelves. The sun that had rose considerably into the sky began to heat up the ground, and the steam of the evaporated rain that had pooled from the storm began to curl up and off the ground. The air smelled like grass clippings and fresh soil. The sun glinting off the steam made rainbows. After an hour or two of working non-stop, the steady stream of customers began to dwindle. Suga decided to take his break, and made his way out back, presumably to find Daichi.

          That left Hinata as the cashier, another job he wasn’t typically allowed to do. In fact, the majority of Hinata’s job was just helping the other people with their jobs, or unclogging the toilets. But with so few customers, Hinata was bored. He picked up a copy of some generic gardening magazine that the store happened to sell, poorly named “Owl Natural.” The cover had a picture of one of those garden owls people use to keep away birds or rodents from gardens.

          After thumbing through a couple articles, he realized the copy he was reading was several years old. He was about to go find Suga and ask him why they still had such an outdated copy, when he saw something that nearly made him fall out of his chair.

          Staring up at him, from the glossy magazine page was a picture of Kageyama Tobio. His face was rounder, his eyes were bigger, and behind him was a group of people, all smiling at the camera. Was this really the same guy Hinata had been stuck with the day before? Hinata squinted at the article, tracing his finger under the words, making sure he wasn’t just seeing things. The article’s headline read “Annual World Garden Association Looking at Landslide Victory.”

          From what Hinata could gather from the article, the Kitagawa Daiichi Garden Club, led by Kageyama Tobio, ‘The Garden King”, was the favorite to win the World Garden Association’s garden competition. His group had spent a year planning and planting for the competition, and their garden, “Blooming Sakura” showcased 6 sakura trees at its center that were chosen from nurseries by each individual member. Experts around the world said it was nothing like anything they’d ever seen before. Hinata closed the magazine. Did that mean that… He had spent the day with a celebrity?

          Well, celebrity might be a bit of a stretch. How big was the world of competitive gardening, anyway? But none the less, Hinata stared at his hands in amazement. He had been allowed to work in the garden of a world famous pro gardener. This sense of accomplishment, while completely unfounded because in actuality all he did was rip out weeds, was the reason for the stupid smile that crept its way across his face. Maybe Kageyama hadn’t been such a bad guy after all. Sure he hadn’t tipped Hinata, made him work out in the rain, and acted rudely the entire time, but they do say artists tend to be depressing, right? Does a gardener even count as an artist?

          Hinata was pulled from his thoughts when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a tall, dark figure disappear behind one of the shelves. Hinata froze. A person, clad in black, materializing in a near empty store? Was it a ghost? Or a robber?! Hinata pulled out the thing closest to him, a spade, and lowered himself off his chair, peering over the counter. The spade probably wouldn’t do much to a ghost, but he was sure he could mess up a robber with it. From his position, he couldn’t see who had entered. But he could hear them, rustling through the wares. Probably stealing. Or getting its gooey ectoplasm all over the place. Hinata swallowed. He tightened his grip on the spade. Now there were footsteps, pacing around. Hinata ducked under the counter. The footsteps grew louder. Hinata squeezed his eyes shut. Was this how he was going to die?

          Kageyama, on the other hand, just wanted to buy a new pair of gloves. He had worn a hole into his old ones, and after yesterday’s storm, they were soaked. It was easier just to buy new ones. That is, if the idiot Kageyama had seen at the counter as he walked in would come out of his hiding spot.

          Kageyama cleared his throat, and waited. He looked around. The Karasuno shop had a cozy atmosphere, with several shelves containing multitudes of products, decorations and inspirational messages hanging on the wall, and a big sliding door that led to a plant nursery that rivaled most chain stores. It was most certainly a popular destination, which was exactly why Kageyama had made it a point to come after most people had left.

          “Kageyama?” He heard a voice call from beyond the sliding door. Seconds later, Suga appeared, smiling warmly.

          Sugawara Koushi was a kind person, Kageyama had learned. He had light, silvery hair, warm brown eyes, and a calming aura. But he had a sense of humor, which Kageyama finally realized after taking him seriously one too many times. A person can only be rickrolled so many times before realizing what it means. But nonetheless, the best thing about Suga was that he knew what questions not to ask, which Kageyama very much appreciated.

          “How’s your garden after the typhoon?” Suga asked, walking inside and leaning on the counter. He looked like a model, the way he stood so casually. In comparison, the other Karasuno employee in the room could be seen shaking behind the same counter, resembling a child that had heard thunder for the first time and peed their pants.

          “It’s fine. My gloves are all messed up though.” Kageyama held up his new pair, “I was going to buy new ones, but your cashier vanished.” Suga looked confused.

          “Hinata?” He asked. Almost immediately, Hinata sprang up from behind the counter, the embarrassment obvious on his face.

          “Sorry Suga-san… I thought he was a robber.” Hinata muttered, “…or a ghost…” Kageyama blinked. A ghost? What kind of idiot even though of a possibility like that? Plus (ironically enough), Kageyama didn’t think he was particularly scary.

          “Hinata, ghosts can’t buy gloves, and what kind of robber would come to a gardening store?” Suga grinned, “But I appreciate that you were concerned. Now ring Kageyama up; I have something to show him.” Hinata nodded and scanned Kageyama’s gloves. Hinata’s hands looked so tiny compared to them, Kageyama noticed. In fact, everything about him seemed petite and cute. Too bad his personality was obnoxious.

          After he paid, Kageyama followed Suga out to the nursery. He found him chatting with Daichi, who looked like he had finally stopped running around for the first time all day. But when he saw Kageyama walk over, his face broke out into a grin.

          “Please tell me you’re entering this year,” Daichi said, looking at Kageyama expectantly.

          “Of course. It’s been a few years. I’m fine now,” Kageyama said. He chose to ignore the look of concern that was apparent in Suga’s face. Daichi, however, seemed over the moon.

          “Well we’ve already decided we’re gonna sponsor you, so don’t worry about money,” Daichi said, “And we’re all here if you need our help,” Daichi grinned. Kageyama stiffened.

          “The money is more than enough… Thank you.” Kageyama said, not realizing all emotion had drained from his voice. Daichi suddenly looked extremely apologetic.

          “Forget I said that… But anyway, I’ve been working on something, and if you want to use it in your garden for the competition, I can let you have it.” Daichi walked over to something covered with a big, blue tarp.

          “Now, it’s not done yet, so if you want it, I can customize it however you want.” Daichi said, obviously getting excited. He pulled away the tarp, revealing the framework for a bench. Kageyama’s eyes widened.

          “Typically, gardens entering the competition have furniture and decoration as accents. So I figured a custom bench wouldn’t hurt your score.” Daichi grinned. Kageyama was at a loss for words.

          “You have time to think on it of course,” Daichi said. “But in the meantime, Suga and I are going to lunch. Do you want to come with us?” He asked. Kageyama opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Suga.

          “Kageyama you should come!! It’ll be great. There’s a new restaurant I’ve been wanting to try.” Suga said excitedly. Kageyama made a face. He had a hard time saying no to Suga.

          “O-okay…” He muttered. Just as he agreed, Hinata came running out of the store.

          “I heard you guys were going to lunch. Can I come too?” He asked, practically jumping up and down.

          “Hinata… Who’s going to watch the store?” Daichi asked. Hinata opened his mouth, and upon seeing that, Suga immediately butted in.

          “Oh Daichi let him come. Noya and Tanaka can watch the store while we’re gone. What’s the worst that could happen?” Suga asked. Daichi sighed. Kageyama was sure he had a hard time saying no to Suga as well.

          “Fine, you’re right. What’s the worst that could happen?” Daichi grinned.

 

          Ten minutes later, driving towards the restaurant in Daichi’s pickup truck, Daichi realized what the worst could be. Being stuck in a car with Hinata and Kageyama.

          The first nine minutes were fine. Kageyama had been staring out the window, and occasionally responding whenever Suga spoke to him. Hinata had been chatting almost non-stop, but nothing out of the ordinary. But then. Then. It happened. Daichi hadn’t realized that the turn had come up so quickly, and in order to make it, made a sharp left. Under normal circumstances, that would’ve been fine. But instead, because Daichi’s life had to be difficult, Hinata was sent flying into Kageyama. The aftermath was the worst thing Daichi had ever witnessed. Kageyama lost his shit first.

          “Dumbass what are you doing?” He yelled, shoving Hinata off. Hinata retaliated by yelling back.

          “It was an accident! Who would ever want to touch you?”

          “What did you say?! I didn’t want to touch you either dumbass! I’m surprised I didn’t get covered in Cheeto dust” Kageyama spat. Daichi was pretty sure he had seen Suga stifling back a laugh.

          “Cheeto dust? What does that even mean?”

          “You’re too orange” Kageyama muttered. Now Suga was definitely laughing. Daichi had heard Hinata called a lot of different things, but Cheetos was new. Daichi honestly wasn’t sure he wanted to hear any more. And yet it persisted. Joy.

          In fact, the arguing didn’t cease until they pulled into the parking lot and Daichi told them to leave the car in what was probably a really hostile tone by the way all the color drained from their faces. Even Suga’s attempt at making him feel better by smiling did nothing to change Daichi’s mood. He didn’t understand how two people that were completely fine on their own could possibly become so impossibly irritating when put together.

 

          It was in this way that Kageyama found himself at a table for two with Hinata. Suga and Daichi sat at a separate table, just barely within eyeshot. The stupid Cheeto was scarfing down his soup at lightning speed. Every slurping noise dragged through Kageyama’s ears like nails on a chalkboard. Of course, Kageyama wasn’t much better with the slurping sounds coming from the glass of milk with a straw he had ordered. This, coincidentally, annoyed Hinata incredibly, and made him slurp his soup even louder.

          After an intense standoff, with both sides refusing to yield, the sound level died. They had both run out of things to make noise with. Which meant that they would be forced into something worse. Talking.

          “So how did you get into gardening?” Hinata asked, trying to start a conversation before the situation got any more awkward than it already was. But of course, Kageyama looked down, not saying anything. After what seemed like an eternity to Hinata, he spoke.

          “What’s it to you?” was his belated reply. Hinata sighed, looking down. Sheesh, this guy was impossible.

          “I’m just trying to make small talk. Plus I saw you on a magazine. The ‘King’ or something?” Hinata mumbled. He poked around at his food absentmindedly, waiting for another reply that would probably take 10 hours. And yet… something seemed different this time. He slowly looked up, and upon doing so, felt as the blood in his veins flash froze when he made eye contact with Kagyema.

          “Don’t call me that.” Kageyama spat. Hinata noticed Kageyama’s body was tense. And was he shaking? Had what Hinata said really been all that bad? He thought King was a pretty cool name. But from the look in Kageyama’s steely dark eyes, it was definitely not a compliment.

          “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Hinata said frantically, relatively sure he was about to get killed. But Kageyama sighed, his shoulders sagging. He looked tired and defeated.

          “Its… fine.” Kageyama mumbled, mostly to himself. He felt sort of bad for snapping at Hinata. It wasn’t like it was the Cheeto’s fault Kageyama couldn’t communicate with people, it was Kageyama’s. Just like back then. But Kageyama didn’t want to think about that.

          “So what kind of stuff do you do?” Kageyama asked, trying to take the focus off of his own personal life. Hinata looked surprised that Kageyama had initiated the conversation, but then he grinned widely.

          “I’m into garage sale shopping” Hinata said proudly. Kageyama snorted.

          “I’m sorry, what?” Kageyama asked, genuinely confused. How was that a hobby?  Hinata made a face, but the look was also one of a person who had obviously been asked that question a multitude of times.

          “I go to garage sales, buy things, and then my friend and I redesign and repurpose them.” Hinata said defensively. Kageyama nodded. He guessed that was cool? Gardening was still better. But it explained why Hinata seemed to be good at getting what he wanted. Kageyama felt bad for the poor homeowners that got haggled out of their antique armoires by an overexcited Cheeto that didn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘no’

          “So just garage sales? What about tag sales? Flea markets?” Kageyama asked.

          “Agh I can never tell if you’re joking. But of course. And thrift stores, too.” Hinata said. He whipped out his phone and started flipping through his photos. Kageyama looked over and saw mostly selfies with some bored looking guy with bleach blonde hair with the roots growing in black. That must’ve been his friend. Finally, Hinata found what he was looking for and looked up at Kageyama excitedly.

          It was actually really nice, Kageyama found himself thinking. The picture was of an old wooden antique chair that had been stained a rich dark brown. They had replaced the seat with glass. Beneath it, between the chair legs, they had added in a shelf that had several books and miscellaneous objects. But the best part was the back, which had a beautiful yellow rose painted on it. The rose was gorgeous, as though someone had spent painstaking hours carefully replicating each petal. Kageyama turned to Hinata.

          “Did you… paint that?” Kageyama asked. Hinata grinned.

          “Ohoh Kageyama-kun, I see you’re amazed by my skill at painting.” Hinata boasted. Kageyama hated to admit it, but he was impressed.

          “The best part of the piece, the stem, was painted by me.” Hinata said proudly. Kageyama stared blankly. He hadn’t even noticed the stem was there.

          “That’s awful.” Kageyama said flatly. Hinata looked offended.

          “Kenma said it was the best stem he’d ever seen.” He huffed. Kageyama continued to stare at it. It was a curved black line, with an occasional thorn sticking out. It didn’t even have any leaves. Kageyama looked up at Hinata’s face, which was red and puffed out, like he was a weird bird with a bizarre defense mechanism. This Kenma guy sounded like the most tolerant person Kageyama had ever heard of. He couldn’t understand how anyone could handle Hinata at all, much less constantly work on projects with him.

          “It’s really bad. Do you even practice?” Kageyama muttered, looking at it again. He didn’t mean to be mean, but then Kageyama really didn’t have a filter for being nice. He just told it like it was. Hinata mumbled something incoherent.

          “If you need reference images or something, you can visit my garden,” Kageyama blurted out, completely without thinking.  He immediately regretted it. Hinata made a face that perfectly expressed his feelings about going to Kageyama’s house a second time.

          “You criticize me all the time and make me feel bad… But I’ve always wanted to paint something for Kenma. You have some plants we don’t have at the shop, and Kenma likes rare things. So I’ll come over I guess.” Hinata muttered. _He must really care about this Kenma_ , Kageyama thought, _having friends must be nice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little note about flower language, a yellow rose means friendship!! 
> 
> Sorry this is so short haha
> 
> If you wanna talk, feel free to check out my tumblr!! http://cheesoritos.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so any feedback would be super appreciated <33 
> 
> This au is actually the product of my friend, http://this-is-a-witty-username.tumblr.com/
> 
> But also, if you wanna talk, feel free to check out my tumblr!! http://cheesoritos.tumblr.com/


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